It is no secret that police forces throughout the country have been stepping-up DUI enforcement in recent years. As part of this enforcement, Illinois lawmakers have enacted some of the strictest laws in the nation when it comes to DUI offenders. For instance, even first-time DUI offenders in Illinois must install a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) on their vehicles if they want to preserve their ability to drive during their suspension period. Basically, a BAIID is a device that, when installed in a vehicle, requires drivers to blow into the machine ...

It's hard to think of a more recognizable character than Superman, or a more lucrative one, at that. People still line up for Superman movies and little kids still wear Superman pajamas with pride. It's not surprising then that those with colorable legal interests in the Superman copyright have been fighting over it for decades. New federal court ruling In a major January 10, 2013, ruling, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, sitting in Pasadena, Cal., held unanimously that Burbank-based entertainment giant Warner Bros. owns the Superman ...

Chapter 13 bankruptcy is one viable method of financial recovery for those who are struggling to make ends meet. The purpose of Chapter 13 bankruptcy is to allow debtors to restructure debts and repay them over an extended period of time. The process is conducted through a repayment plan. How much one pays depends on income, the amount and types of debts owed, and one's monthly expenses. Within the processes, child support claims, alimony, back taxes and a few other legal debts are given first priority. Then, mortgages, secured debts and car loans are addressed. Unsecured ...

The Korean War battle that destroyed a North Carolina man's legs lasted a few days. His battle to obtain benefits through the Department of Veteran Affairs continues on, year after year, as he sits, wheelchair bound and in pain. He wonders if he will die before he sees a dime of compensation to which he is entitled. The 81-year-old man's story is common among veterans; they serve their country at the cost of their lives and their limbs, and they and their families spend years trying to collect disability benefits rightfully due for their injuries and losses. The retired ...

Like the rest of the nation, many homeowners in Louisiana are struggling with the real possibility of home foreclosure. In addition to all of the economic challenges we face as a nation, many Louisiana homeowners still feel the financial impact of having to recover from any one of several severe hurricanes that struck the state in the last decade. Louisiana numbers In December 2012, the state had a "medium" foreclosure rate as compared to those of other states, according to RealtyTrac. However, with one of every 1,262 homes in foreclosure, Louisiana's rate ...

Most people who lose their driver's license equate it with losing their freedom. They must ask other people for rides to work, school and even the grocery store. They feel stuck in their homes or married to bus and train schedules. Driver's license suspension and revocation can have a long-term impact on your livelihood. That is why it is important to understand when your license can be suspended and fight any charges that could lead to a suspended driver's license, from speeding to vehicular homicide. Suspension vs. Revocation While often used interchangeably, ...

About 150,000 car crashes occur each year in the state of Louisiana and residents of East Baton Rouge Parish have seen their fair share of accidents over the years. Although the numbers of accidents in the parish are on the decline, official statistics report that there were around 15,000 property damage accidents and nearly 5,000 injury crashes in 2011. Those crashes accounted for 50 fatalities and over 7,500 injuries. Many people rely on their insurance companies to pay for losses incurred from car accidents and other insurable losses. Insurance carriers spend millions ...

The Ohio State Highway Patrol recently set up a permanent full-time post in Cleveland to combat the increasing number of fatal crashes in the area. Twelve troopers will target aggressive drivers and work on speed enforcement. Speed is a growing concern of the Highway Patrol and may be to blame for some local Freeway pile-ups. When motorists do not slow down enough during inclement wintery weather, crashes increase. A Cuyahoga County truck accident can easily occur when conditions deteriorate. Drivers who may be more comfortable driving at the speed limit may not see ...

Football players in the National Football League (NFL) are generally thought of as tough, determined to win at all costs, larger than life and even super-human. Nonetheless, they get hurt at an alarming rate. Many injuries befalling NFL players are relatively minor ones like broken bones, sprains, muscle strains, joint dislocations and bruising, all things that are painful but will likely heal over time. Other injuries, however, are much more serious and harder to heal because they involve trauma to the brain. What is traumatic brain injury? The human brain is a very ...

When police suspect that a crime has been committed, they commonly conduct a search and seizure by searching a person's property and confiscating any evidence that's correlated to the alleged crime. However, there are certain restrictions around search and seizures, particularly when it involves a DUI stop and vehicle search. Under the 4th amendment to the United States Constitution the "right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated..." Therefore officers of ...

In a real way, you could pay for the rest of your life for a sex crime in Texas because you may be required to register with authorities for either 10 years or until your death, depending on the nature of the offense. The public information about your status as a sex offender has the real potential to ruin your life. For example, certain types of jobs, housing options and professional licenses could become off limits to you -- to say nothing of social stigma and the hit to your reputation. The Texas sex offender public notification system began in 1991. Both adult ...

Winter is in full swing in Washington. The state's lush green forests and bustling commuter areas are alight with the twinkle of ice and snow. Ice is lovely to look at, but a nightmare to walk on; that is why in some areas the numbers of traumatic brain injuries spike in the winter months. There are ways to lessen your chances of being hurt, though, if you know what steps to take to protect yourself. Raising awareness of injury triggers So, how do wintertime traumatic brain injuries occur? One obvious source of potential injuries is on ice-coated bridges, overpasses ...

A tragic bus accident on December 30, 2012, has brought nationwide attention not only to the Canadian company that operated the bus and the actions of commercial drivers across the company. That accident happened when a tour bus owned and operated by Mi Joo Tour & Travel hit an icy patch of Interstate 84 outside of Pendleton, Oregon, slid through a guardrail and rolled down an embankment. Nine people lost their lives in the crash, and nearly 40 more were injured. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) - a division of the United States Department ...

Using a cellphone while driving is extremely dangerous behavior. Even if the driver is making a call with a hands-free device, using a cellphone takes attention off the task of driving, making it more likely that the driver will be involved in a serious accident. Indeed, according to research from Carnegie Mellon University, using a cellphone behind the wheel reduces a driver's focus on the road by approximately 37 percent. Because of this risk, Michigan legislators have been taking steps to limit drivers' abilities to use cellphones while operating their vehicles. Statewide, ...

On Jan. 15, 2013, New York became the first state to enact a gun control measure following the Newtown, Connecticut, massacre. The measure, signed into law by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, significantly enhances the state's ban on assault weapons. It is being called "the most restrictive set of gun laws in the nation" (Saugerties Times), and critics worry that it will lead to unconstitutional weapons arrests. In particular, the new gun laws: - Ban assault weapons: Assault weapons may no longer be sold in New York state. New York gun owners who own semi-automatics ...

Tax season brings up worries for those who cannot pay a large looming tax bill. Alternatively, tax liabilities may have compounded over several years with penalties and interest making it impossible to pay off the debt. Some may wonder if a bankruptcy filing can remove past due income tax debts. If the taxes meet the following requirements, they are dischargeable along with all the regular unsecured debts in either a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Timing rules The year of the tax debt is important when reviewing whether a Chapter 7 bankruptcy might help. Because ...

David S. Lipschultz of Goldberg Weisman Cairo has filed a civil rights lawsuit in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, on behalf of Diangelo Beasley against three former Schaumburg Police Officers currently being charged with multiple felonies in DuPage County. On June 27, 2012, Mr. Diangelo Beasley was falsely arrested and beaten by former Schaumburg Police Officers John Cichy, Matthew Hudak and Terrance O'Brien. Mr. Diangelo was not committing any crimes or bad acts whatsoever. Instead, Mr. Beasley was the victim of these police officers' long-running ...

Imagine the pain of discovering you may not really be the father of a child you thought was yours and for whom you are legally the parent. In Texas, the law provides a way for such a man to learn the truth through the court system and set things right. The Texas court proceeding is one for "mistaken paternity," sometimes called "paternity fraud." The only person with the right to bring a mistaken paternity action is a legal father who is questioning his parentage when no DNA testing was ever done. This law addresses the particular situation when a ...

If a person experiences an injury or illness that requires medical care, he or she will often schedule an appointment with a familiar doctor or physician. These relationships lead patients to trust the decisions made by their doctors, in the hopes that the treatment will cure the injuries or illnesses. However, mistakes in hospitals are an all-too-frequent occurrence. A recent study discussed the rate of medication errors happening in hospitals across the country. Some of these errors even led to the death or serious injury of the patient, which could potentially subject ...

As wars in Afghanistan and Iraq come to an end, soldiers from these war zones are returning home to thankful communities. These men and women, away from their families for long periods of time, strive to get back to their normal, everyday lives. Some of these soldiers have sustained injuries or illnesses while on duty. These injuries can make it difficult for veterans to adjust or find and maintain employment. In some cases, these individuals will need medical treatment in order to recover. Veterans benefits are supposed to help members of our armed forces get the care ...

February Fondue month takes on a special meaning at Artisanal Fromagerie, Bistro and Wine Bar. On Tuesday, February 26th, from 10 to 11 a.m., our award-winning restaurant will host 50 students from Public School 30 Hernandez/Hughes in East Harlem to experience fondue for the first time. For these 5-year-old students, many whom live in high-risk areas or have even lived in homeless shelters and domestic shelters, it will be their first time eating fresh produce and cheese. Artisanal's vast cheese selection will provide these children an opportunity to taste a cheese that's ...

When Janet Galla ended her tour of duty in Iraq as a Navy hospital corpsman in 2005, she turned to making jewelry as a hobby. That hobby turned into a lucrative career, and eight years later, under the name Trinkets 'N Whatnots, an array of her dazzling Swarovski crystal rings and one of her signature mother-of-pearl button necklaces will be on showcased at the GBK Gift Lounge for the 2013 Academy Awards on February 22-23 in Beverly Hills, California. What will no doubt surprise visitors to the gift lounge, one of Hollywood's most popular celebrity events of the awards ...

Experian announced it has further enhanced Hunter, its industry-leading data-sharing fraud prevention software, improving its performance and efficiency for anti-fraud operations. The upgrade goes live in the UK this week and allows banks, insurance companies, and other financial services and credit granting organisations to manage and investigate organised fraud more effectively. Providers are now able to group several applications into a single 'case', allowing investigation of all 'linked' applications and identify whether they are linked to earlier fraudulent ...

New research from Diamond has revealed women in the UK spent around GBP3.35billion* on shoes in 2012 but still leave two thirds of their collection of high heels, boots and sandals in the wardrobe. Diamond revealed the average woman owns 19 pairs of shoes but regularly wears just seven pairs of them. The study of 2,000 women across the UK also revealed one in twenty women are true shoe devotees and own more than 50 pairs while 7% buy 10 or more pairs each year. Natalie Grimshare, spokesperson for Diamond said: "According to our study, the average woman owns ...

University of Adelaide researchers have provided new evidence on the long-debated authorship of two famous texts – the US Federalist Papers and the Letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament. The results of a 10-year project led by Professor Derek Abbott, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, was published today in the prestigious journal PLOS ONE. The team has developed an automatic authorship detection system, using advanced software techniques to analyse author style based on commonly used words. "We applied our new authorship detection technique to ...